The EU and cyber-security
The EU ministers for European Affairs have prepared the agenda of the March European Council meeting
Daniela Budu, 20.02.2019, 13:21
The minister delegate for European Affairs, George Ciamba, on Tuesday chaired the General Affairs Council meeting held in Brussels under the auspices of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, a focal point on the agenda of talks was the post-2020 Multi-annual Financial Framework. The Romanian official gave details on the stage of talks on this file as well as on the process and the provisional work programme until April 2019. George Ciamba recalled that the main objective of the Romanian presidency is to continue talks at a fast pace, in order to make available a streamlined and balanced document for negotiations in the European Councils June meeting.
Also, cracking down on misinformation is a very important topic for the Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union, and the conclusions adopted in Brussels on Tuesday do not come too late for the EP elections due in May.
The ministers for European affairs who attended Tuesdays meeting in Brussels also discussed the agenda of the Spring Council and underlined the importance of talks on the internal market, the Digital Single Market, the EU industrial policy, laying emphasis on the role of these talks in preparing the future Strategic Agenda. At the summit held on March 21 and 22, the European leaders will focus mainly on issues related to employment, growth and competitiveness, climate change, preparations for the EU-China Summit due on April 9, cracking down on misinformation, protecting the integrity of European and national elections.
During Tuesdays meeting, the European officials also talked about the progress of procedures started under Article 7 of the EU Treaty, triggered by the EC against Poland for having failed to observe the rule of law and against Hungary for failure to observe community values. The conclusions of the EU Council on free and correct elections were also formally adopted, thus sending a political signal of special relevance at European level, ahead of the election campaign for the European Parliament, which will be held in the EU Member States between May 23 and 26. The Council has also adopted conclusions on the relations between the EU and Switzerland. They are adopted by the Council every two years and are meant to assess the stage of relations between the two partners and represent a political declaration on boosting cooperation in the future.
(translated by: Diana Vijeu)
